Menace to Nobel

Marina Petrova exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza

The epoch of the first oil boom in Azerbaijan resembles a fair oriental fairytale where smart and talented young people from poor families become millionaires, turning their agricultural country into the state of modern technologies. Such "princes from the poor" were Gadzhi Zeinalabdin Tagiyev, Musa Naguyev, and of course Aga Shamsi Asadullayev. His life is an example of a man who loves his business, strives for happiness despite any obstacles and supports his people and contributes to development of his country's culture.

Shamsi Asadullayev was born in a poor family of peasants in a small suburb of Baku, Amiradzhan. He became a work-hand when he was a teenager. Oil production appeared to be Asadullayev's career when the major oil producer Kokorev came to his town. Yong Shamsi worked as a cart driver at Kokorev's oil fields. Later he was appointed a field manager at the enterprise, and in 1874 Shamsi opened his own oil production office. Only 20 years later the office turned into the company "Shamsi Asadullayev" in 1893. The initial capital of the company was 500 ruble. In 1913 the capital was 10 million.

Beginning his career from driving a cart, Shamsi Asadullayev abolished this exhausting profession. He was first Azerbaijani and Russian oil producer who got his own tanker fleet, since that time oil was transported only by tankers. After appearance of "Zoroastr" - the first oil-loading tanker in the world - which belonged to Nobel Brothers on the Caspian Sea, Asadullayev floated out three oil-loading tankers: "Asia", "Africa", "America". He implemented other Nobel innovations in his enterprises - oil pipelines. As Asadullayev always was near and equal to the oil giant of Nobel Brothers, he was nicknamed "menace to Nobel." Shamsi Asadullayev attracted Nobel clients by low prices and high-quality oil.

However, Asadullayev's career had never been cloudless, and failures in business were closely connected to twists in his personal life. Shamsi married Azerbaijani Meiransa hanum when he was young. She gave birth to two sons and three daughters. However, Shamsi moved to Moscow and married Maria Petrovna Nikolayeva. The father of Asadulayev's new wife was a big person in Moscow, senator, due to whom Shamsi's business grew like a weed. But the first wife and sons of Shamsi didn't like it, as according to his last will they would get much less than they expected.

Mirza, the elder son, and the first wife decided to bankrupt Shamsi. In late October when the navigation on the Volga stopped, oil prices fell in Baku. Major oil producers bought oil from minor owners for cheap prices and filled reservoirs. In spring they sent oil to clients for much grosser prices. Once in autumn Asadullayev as usual sent a message to his manager in Baku for he bought a certain quantity of oil. The oil producer signed many agreements for transporting this oil in spring. But in spring it appeared that the manager didn't get the message and didn't buy oil. It meant Asadullayev had to sell all his oil fields and tankers to fulfill orders and pay off clients. The message got in hands of his son Mirza who in collusion with mother didn't tell the manager about it.

But their mean plans were ruined. Shamsi's friends G. Tagiyev, F. Rustamov, and M. Nagiyev helped his, as they believed in his business acumen. Nagiev's daughter was wife of Asadullayev's son. Musa prevented collapse of his relative. He paid off creditors, bought oil and sent it to Shamsi's clients. Rustamov recommended Shamsi to found several bore wells in his territory in Surakhany. Soon one of wells powerfully gushed. The oil inflow turned the local area into a sea, and oil was of high quality. The well gave 10 000 tons every day.

Shamsi Asadullayev was one of the richest people of Azerbaijan and dealt with charity. His name is remembered with gratitude in Baku, Moscow, Tbilisi. His Russian wife Maria Petrovna helped him a lot in this proud activity. She even became Muslim. They had no children and so they tried to help children and talented young people, spending great sums of money for construction of schools, orphan houses, and institutes.

According to the last will of Asadullayev, the majority of his property would be inherited by Maria Petrovna. However Shamsi's Baku relatives couldn't agree with that. They began to threaten his Russian wife that they would kill her. But a good friend of Asadullayev Vladimir Gilyarovsky helped the oil producer. On his advice Shamsi changed the reading of the will: "In case of murder of me or my wife Maria Petrovna I leave all my property to charity."

Asadullayev died in Yalta on April 21st, 1913. The Baku media wrote a lot about Aga Shamsi. At the funeral Mekhti-bek Gadzhinsky, a PM, said: "Any person has to die. But after death he leaves his name. It is not about prosperity. Many rich people dies, but their names are forgotten. Names of such people as Shamsi Asadullayev will live in memory of every Muslim forever."